How Ecommerce Brands Can Adapt to New Tariffs: 7 Steps for Success
New tariffs. National emergency. Higher costs on the horizon. Sounds like a perfect storm, right? Especially if you’re trying to grow your ecommerce brand in today’s global economy of fast-moving financial markets and delicate trade relations.
And now, it’s official. The United States government has declared a national emergency to protect the economy and US President Donald Trump’s new tariffs are already rattling supply chains, raising prices, and throwing plenty of brands into panic mode.
But here’s the thing: Panic isn’t a strategy. Preparation is.
And the good news? You don’t have to figure this all out alone.
Here are 7 steps you can follow to protect your business, stay competitive, and even find new ways to grow while everyone else is scrambling.
Step 1: Work With a 3PL Partner Who Can Help You Move Fast
You know what’s better than reacting late? Getting ahead early.
At Fulfill.com, we specialize in matching ecommerce brands with flexible, battle-tested 3PL providers who don’t blink when trade barriers hit the fan.
Need faster shipping? Smarter inventory management? Customs handling that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out?
We’ve got you covered.
Brands that partnered with the right 3PLs during the last wave of tariff policy changes didn’t just survive. They grew. They thrived. They outpaced slower, clumsier competitors.
Remember 2018? Companies like Casetify and Gymshark saw the writing on the wall early. They diversified fulfillment across multiple countries and sidestepped the worst of the shipping mess. Meanwhile, slower brands lost entire quarters trying to “figure it out.”
There’s a funny thing about a global trade war. It doesn’t announce itself politely. It starts as a whisper. Then your suppliers are late. Then your customs broker sends you a panicked email. And before you know it, your bestselling SKU is out of stock for six weeks.
This is why it’s so important to find a 3PL partner who can help you move fast. Because when the pressure hits, you need a partner who already has backup plans in place, so you can keep your shelves stocked, your customers happy, and your business growing while everyone else scrambles.
And it’s also why this is listed as Step 1. Because when you do Step 1, and partner with a leading 3PL partner like Fulfill, you don’t have to do most of the other steps on this list. We’ll do them for you, or at least make them about 10x easier.
Recommended 3PLs You Should Know About:
When the supply chain gets rocky, who you partner with matters more than ever. You need a 3PL that’s built for speed, flexibility, and creative problem-solving to adapt to shifting economic policies.
To help you move fast and stay ahead, we’ve pulled together a shortlist of trusted 3PL providers we recommend looking into during this time of supply chain shakeup. Each of these partners has been vetted for their ability to help ecommerce brands adapt quickly and keep products flowing, even when market access and trade barriers tighten.
Brandfox
Built by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, Brandfox offers flexible fulfillment with a focus on integrity, transparency, and personalized service. Their hands-on approach helps ecommerce brands stay adaptable and supported during supply chain disruptions, providing the kind of partnership most traditional 3PLs can’t match.
AP Express
With 33 years of experience, 2.1 million square feet of space, and 74 owned trucks, AP Express helps ecommerce brands stay resilient during supply chain disruptions. Their reliable fulfillment, last-mile delivery, and advanced system integrations make it easier to manage higher costs and shifting demand.
Moby Dick
Founded by ecommerce entrepreneurs who know what you’re going through, Moby Dick 3PL offers flexible fulfillment solutions tailored to unique business needs. They provide pick and pack, storage, kitting, B2B, returns, subscription boxes, Amazon prep, and high-volume project support for brands needing adaptable, full-service logistics.
Manifest
Manifest helps DTC brands stay resilient during supply chain shifts with sustainable fulfillment from Austin, Texas. They handle 1,000 to 100,000 orders monthly, provide in-warehouse support only, ship with biodegradable packaging, and measure and offset the carbon footprint of every shipment.
Launch Fulfillment
Launch Fulfillment helps ecommerce brands scale quickly and stay agile during supply chain disruptions. With facilities in Utah, Kentucky, and the UK, they offer same-day order processing, Amazon prep, global shipping, and tech-driven inventory tracking to maintain fast, accurate fulfillment even during volatile times.
Deliverzen
Deliverzen offers DTC and B2B fulfillment with fully climate-controlled warehousing, helping brands stay consistent even during supply chain volatility. With a focus on beauty, skincare, and supplements, they provide reliable storage and shipping solutions for products that demand extra care.
Smart Warehousing
Smart Warehousing helps brands stay flexible and resilient with tech-driven fulfillment solutions from their Kansas City headquarters. Founded in 2001, they offer customized warehousing and logistics support designed to create efficiencies and keep supply chains moving smoothly, even during periods of disruption.
Selery
Selery Fulfillment, trusted by entrepreneur Mark Cuban, helps medium to large ecommerce brands stay flexible during supply chain disruptions. With climate-controlled warehousing, custom packaging, kitting, and subscription services, they make it easier to manage sensitive products, scale operations, and deliver a consistent customer experience.
Go Direct
Go Direct supports brands across CPG, nutraceuticals, and consumer electronics with omni-channel fulfillment and supply chain solutions. With warehouses in Canada and the US, seamless technology integration, and real-time reporting, they help businesses stay efficient and connected even when global supply chains shift.
Tondo
Tondo Fulfillment helps ecommerce brands scale with a proven pick, pack, and ship process backed by data-driven software. Specializing in small and light items, they offer cost-saving fulfillment solutions that help brands stay efficient and competitive during supply chain uncertainty.
OTW
OTW Shipping offers fulfillment services built for DTC brands needing fast, personal support during supply chain challenges. Acting like an in-house team, they give clients direct access to warehouse staff and leadership, making it easier to stay flexible and responsive when disruptions hit.
Step 2: Know What the New Tariffs Cover
4/15 Update: President Trump recently suggested a temporary exemption for auto tariffs, signaling potential short-term relief but adding more uncertainty for brands navigating shifting supply chains and unpredictable trade policies.
Electronics, including smartphones and laptops, have also received a temporary tariff reprieve. But officials warn sector-specific levies on semiconductors and other tech products are coming within months, keeping uncertainty high.
Alright, what’s getting hit?
The new duties are mostly aimed at Chinese imports, auto parts, farm products, and aluminum articles. In addition, we’re seeing other categories like batteries, electronics components, apparel, and raw materials like steel and aluminum getting hit hard.
Percent tariff increases are stacking up fast. Some categories are facing 10 percent hikes, others 25 percent or more, especially under the new tariff formula being applied.
And guess what? Other countries aren’t just sitting quietly. South Korea, the United Kingdom, the European Union—they’re sharpening their own knives with retaliatory tariffs against imports of US goods.
If your supply chain leans on any of those regions, it’s not a question of if – it’s a question of when you’ll feel it.
Step 3: See How Prices Could Go Up
Here’s a painful truth. When import taxes go up, so do shelf prices – and often at higher rates than expected.
Wall Street already sees it. The stock market’s bouncing like a pinball machine. Futures are flashing warnings. Smart brands are adjusting pricing models right now, not next quarter.
And don’t make the mistake of assuming you can “eat the difference.” For high-volume ecommerce stores, even a 3 percent margin squeeze can turn a profitable product line into a liability overnight.
Electronics, clothing, auto parts, home goods – if you’re in those spaces, you’re especially exposed.
So how are smart brands acting? They’re not relying solely on higher prices. They’re bundling products, reworking offers, and adding new tariff-friendly lines that appeal to American consumers.
Test your elasticity now. A/B different price points. Offer bundles that increase perceived value without eroding margins. Your customers will understand slight increases if they feel they’re still winning.
Step 4: Check Your Supply Chain for Risky Spots
You can’t fix what you can’t see.
Now’s the time to carefully assess your supply chain piece-by-piece. Find the vendors sitting in newly “tariff hot” zones. Identify the SKUs that suddenly got a whole lot more expensive to move.
Even brands with diversified supply chains aren’t immune. As Digital Commerce 360 reports, tariffs are causing “complete whiplash” among ecommerce retailers, who are struggling to predict which foreign countries might be hit next… and at what cost. Staying flexible isn’t just smart. It’s survival.
This step is crucial to your success because small leaks sink big ships. Don’t assume you’re safe just because you haven’t heard complaints yet.
Ask yourself:
• Are 80 percent of your materials coming from one country?
• Are you relying on one freight corridor?
• Can you get your goods through customs without major delays due to non-tariff barriers?
If the answer to any of those is a sheepish “Maybe,” it’s time to rethink.
Find your ideal 3PL partner with Fulfill.com and create a smarter, more cost-effective fulfillment strategy today!
Start your searchStep 5: Make Your Sourcing and Shipping More Flexible
If you’re tied too tightly to one region (especially China), you’re asking for trouble.
Start finding backup suppliers outside high-tariff countries. Spread your risk. Build redundancy with low tariffs in mind.
Another smart move? Shift inventory into-country whenever possible. With customs clearance times expected to slow and per-shipment fees from China rising as high as $50 per item by June 1, 2025, brands that pre-position inventory in the U.S. or Canada will avoid major bottlenecks and unexpected costs.
And if that sounds like a full-time job… well, it is. That’s why partnering with a 3PL through Fulfill.com saves you months of hunting and praying.
Our 3PL partners help you warehouse closer to your customers, dodge surprise customs fees, and shift inventory without losing your shirt.
Remember – resiliency is a revenue strategy. And the key to maintaining financial stability in turbulent times.
Step 6: Plan for Price Changes and Talk to Your Customers
You’re not the only one feeling the squeeze. Customers will too.
If you need to raise prices, be real about it. Honest communication builds loyalty. Pretending nothing’s happening? Not so much.
Highlight American companies and products made locally to offset concerns about higher costs. Promote collections that sidestep the effects of these new reciprocal tariffs and ensure your social media messaging reinforces your commitment to transparency.
We believe brands that explain the “why” behind price changes can see higher customer retention than those who just quietly updated the cart page. Because transparency beats silence. Every time.
Step 7: Keep Up With News and Market Changes
Tariffs aren’t set-it-and-forget-it. So how can you stay proactive?
Keep a sharp eye on White House updates, the latest news from financial outlets, Trump trade trackers, global markets, and new trade deals popping up (or falling apart). Set Google Alerts for key phrases like “US tariffs”, “Trump tariffs”, and “international trade” to get live updates on trade policy and economic growth indicators.
And stay close to Fulfill.com. Our partners feel the tremors before they become earthquakes, helping you maintain strong trade relations even during volatile times.
Conclusion
Here’s the deal: The new tariffs are real, they’re here, and they’re going to test a lot of ecommerce brands.
But challenge always brings opportunity.
If you act early, move smart, and partner with the right 3PL, you won’t just “weather the storm.” You’ll strengthen your manufacturing base and get ahead while others are still checking the radar.
Don’t wait until Liberation Day headlines declare a full trade realignment. Take action now.
Fulfill.com is ready to help you move fast, move smart, and stay competitive.
Frequently Asked Questions
A 3PL (third-party logistics provider) handles your inventory, warehousing, and shipping so you don’t have to. When new tariff deals cause sudden price hikes or shipping delays, a good 3PL helps you pivot faster than you could alone, which is critical for small business survival in recent years. Especially when navigating the needs of a major trading partner.
Absolutely. We don’t just connect you with random warehouses. We match you with trade experts at the highest level who’ve handled global trade shocks before and know how to keep your supply chain moving, even when the future of the U.S. economy and trade relationships seems uncertain.
Most brands get their first shortlist within a few days. Faster than you’d expect, considering what’s at stake when new tariffs take effect.
No problem. We can review your current setup and either optimize it or suggest alternatives if your current 3PL isn’t built for this kind of pressure on U.S. goods.
Realistically? No. Tariffs come faster than they go. Smart brands assume they’re a long-term feature and build accordingly – whether that’s managing a top trade surplus or minimizing a trade deficit through strategic sourcing and VAT (value-added taxes) planning.
